Bruce did help me to improve my analytical writing skills, but he is a pretty tough grader and it is very, very, very difficult to receive an A on any of the papers unless you are willing to put in some grueling hours. Participation is also very important to Bruce, so I suggest that you sit at the front if possible, keep up with readings, and try to speak at least twice per class meeting because it will affect your grade if you do not participate. Overall, I really enjoyed Bruce but this class was definitely not an easy A.

Do not take this class

Professor Stone is clearly an amazing writer and cares about the subject so much that he would marry it if he could (e.g. he calls good sentences "delicious"). He clearly cares about his students (he went out of his way to try to learn everyone's names by week 2). However, this class is definitely not a piece of cake and Professor Stone holds everyone to a high expectation and grades pretty harshly on the essays (we had 3 essays). For the sample paper, he was borderline A-/B+ but ended up giving the person a B+ because she had the wrong citation. Make sure you have the correct citation!!! Also go into office hours early when drafting your essays because a lot of other students will be there as well. The reading is not heavy at all; the workload is mainly in writing the essays. My writing abilities improved drastically with Professor Stone; however, I think his class was harder than an EngComp class normally should be.

Very difficult class to get an A in, he grades super tough. NOT WORTH taking the class unless you really, really want to become a better writer... which I did not want as a freshman fall quarter.

Prof. Stone is helpful depending on the situation. When having a 1 on 1 zoom meeting he is 4/5 helpful. In zoom lectures, around a 3/5 on helpfulness if you can pay attention. Most of the homework seems easy, but in reality, a bit hard and could take well over an hour. Overall, a good professor.

Bruce Stone is an excellent writing teacher – plain and simple.

If you care about becoming a better writer, take his class! More than any other class I've taken at UCLA, Stone's ENG COMP 3 class has demonstrably improved my analytical reading and writing skills.

If you are looking for an "easy A", look elsewhere – Stone is an honest grader, not an easy grader. Nevertheless, if you demonstrate genuine effort and respond to feedback, there is no reason you can't get an A in this class.

BEWARE!
This was the hardest class I have ever taken at UCLA! I simultaneously took two STEM classes alongside this class, and I cried more than I ever have over a class because of this man.... His grading is too harsh, and my friends and I would torture ourselves over his essays only to get a B-. The amount of work I put into this class was disheartening as it often felt like my effort was not being recognized. I scraped by my teeth and barely managed a B!!! Which in this case was my goal. I didn't even want an A! I JUST WANTED TO PASS! Thankfully I did but I would not recommend this class to anyone who needs to fulfill the Writing I requirement. I wouldn't recommend this class to English major as it really just a blow to your GPA to be honest. With the amount of effort, you have to put into the class, you could easily get an A in any other class. Plus, the articles as so long and hard to understand. When in discussion, you basically have to cater to what he believes. Additionally, because of his AI issue (as the other reports state), he is more encouraged to have in person exams and papers in future quarters! Thankfully, I was not one of the students accused of using AI, but the other reviews are true and he often gave full on speeches about AI. Though he is a kind person, he class was just too much for a Writing I class. This class put me through it and I'm so happy that it's over.

Professor Stone is a great professor. Although, his standards are very high for his students, which is reflected through his grading. The class is graded on participation (informal assignments), 3 essays. After taking his class, his teaching has definitely helped me improve immensely on my writing and critical thinking skills. His class is definitely not an easy A class, however, it is definitely very rewarding. I definitely recommend taking Professor Stone

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!! Although mixed reviews might suggest that working hard pays off in this class, it truly does not. I wouldn't say I'm the best writer, but I'm far from a bad writer. This class was the most difficult, tedious, and stressful course I've taken yet. Professor Stone, although kind as a person, is insufferable to work with. Constantly accusing the class, and myself, of using ChatGBT for essays (I literally didn't). I used the same word twice in continuous sentences and he claimed that it was evidence of AI. His grading is so rough and basically impossible to get an A unless you're already talented at writing and have a passion for it. So much work for a Writing 1 class for no reason. Terrible mistake I made taking this class.